With respect to present day lobster trapping practices, the generally used 45 foot boat, under accepted practices, has a 50 trap capacity with a weight factor of 75 pounds per trap. After the trap has been submerged it then has a weight factor of 125 pounds to 150 pounds, which accounts for a limited load capacity. The area capacity of each trap is 24 by 32 by 18 inches high, and the traps have a limitation of stacking four high.
The traps are generally constructed of wood and wire, and are prone to becoming fouled with marine bores so that they have a longevity from 8 to 18 months. These traps have become an annoyance factor to marine patrols and other enforcement agencies, because they have caused entrapment and waste of foodstuffs due to inability to retrieve the traps when marine bores have penetrated and destroyed the trap framework, or when they have become lost and the lobsters within the trap cannot escape until they die.
Lobster fishing or trapping boats are generally gone for 3 to 6 months, before they return to port. The boats come back to port when they have no more storage capacity for the lobsters that have been caught, with respect to either weight or volume. These boats are quite expensive and have crews from 6 to 8 people, so it is seen that if the storage room and weight of the lobster traps may be reduced, the boats may stay out for a longer period of time and take on more lobsters before they must make the long trip back to port.